Fire And Water
by JackQuake
Summary: "But.. we can't be together. You're fire and Juvia is water. It can't work. It won't ever work. Our entire relationship is impossible." "And since when has the impossible ever stopped me?"
1. The Beginning

Drip Drop. Drip Drop. Drip Drop. The rain mercilessly pounded against Juvia's head as she twirled her umbrella. She sighed as she allowed a few tears to drop from her blue eyes. No one would notice if they were tear drops or the rain…. right? The pain from her heart was slowly driving her through her entire body, piercing her soul. Pain like this shouldn't exist. It was so unfair. Juvia had been through many battles and had defeated many foes, and had gotten defeated before as well, but nothing had ever hurt as much as this. A loud broken sob escaped her lips as white hot tears streamed down her face, running her make up. But at this point, she couldn't care less. Her entire entity had been broken; her will for living had faded. She never thought that she would ever see the day. What ever happened to happily ever after? What happened to living happily with the prince for the rest of your life? What happened to that? Didn't Juvia deserve her happy end? Had she not already proved that she was a good human being? Sure, before joining Fairy Tail she wasn't the best of people but she had changed! She had changed, god dammit! She had done everything! So why? WHY? Why was thing happening with her? Why couldn't Gray return her feelings for her? Why was he always so… distant?

At first, Juvia had persevered. She had tried from the bottom of her heart and ignored his ignorance towards her. She would have him and nobody was going to get in her way. But as the days progressed into weeks, which turned into months, which turned into years, Juvia had slowly started to lose hope. Would he ever turn his head towards her? It wasn't even that he was with other women. If Gray had gotten together with someone, yeah she would have been sad, but she would have recovered and wished both of them the best of relationship. But no, Gray didn't even look at other women. He just ignored her and fought with the fire dragon slayer, Natsu. Gray had turned a cold shoulder towards her… just like his element, ice. But even so, their elements were compatible! Ice and water; they went so well together. Gray had even performed a unison raid with her in which snow had rained from the heavens. It was so beautiful and touching… too bad he had never brought it up again. Another pained sob escaped from her throats as she hurried along the streets, her hand covering her mouth just in case another cry escaped.

There is a point in which every human being draws an unconscious line and labels it as their breaking point. Many don't know about their breaking point and those who do… it's too late to already turn back from it. Juvia Lockser had crossed her breaking point. She had been creeping up to line without even knowing it for the past couple of months. She had been finally been broken. She had waited and waited for Gray. But after so long, she had to painfully accept the obvious: Gray Fullbuster was, and never will be, interested with her.

A strangled cry rang through the storm as Juvia ran through the streets, not caring about anyone or anything. She dropped her umbrella and ran blindly now, tears flowing from her eyes like waterfalls. Gray meant so much to her. He was the man that had taken the rain away. Gray was the one who saw past her gloomy front and saw her for who she truly was. But most of all, Gray was the one who had shown her sunshine. Her fight with him was life changing for Juvia. She had found a new family, a new home. She had found new friends, and she had even made a new identity for herself. But even after all of her change it seems like the one thing which she wanted to achieve she wouldn't get. Her Gray-sama. No. Not sama. Not anymore. Juvia finally stopped running in the middle of the forest, unaware of her current surroundings. She leaned back abruptly and tilted her face to the rain, letting the droplets run down her face. If only she could let the rain wash her pain away. She flinched as pain erupted from her heart and spread across her veins._ He doesn't love me._ Juvia dropped to her knees, her legs abandoning the strength that she needed. _He will never return my feelings._ Not caring that anybody heard her, Juvia finally let go and let the dam inside of her break. She had been rejecting this for far too long. _My affections will never be returned._ Juvia screeched, tears coming down in streams. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was cry. Never will Gray return my love. The rain began to pound heavier on her head as she unconsciously willed the water to fall harder and faster from the sky. It seemed like she would always remain gloomy, just the rainy sky.

"Juvia-san?" A voice rang through the forest. She heard some rustling and came face to face with a mop of pink hair staring at her. Natsu wiped his hair from his eyes and looked at Juvia, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay, Juvia-san?"

Hearing his voice filled with so much worry broke Juvia down even more as she began to withdraw into herself. Why couldn't Gray do that? Why couldn't he act like he cared? Of course, she knew that he would save her in a heartbeat if she asked of it from a friend point of view, but that was exactly the thing that Juvia didn't want. She didn't want to be saved like a friend. She wanted someone to love her. Juvia wanted Gray to save her and hold her close, asking whether or not if she was okay. Juvia wanted Gray to look her in the eye and kiss her, whispering her name against her lips. She wasn't even asking anything from him. All she wanted was for him to simply stand by her side and love her. Was that too much to ask? Was that too much to hope for? Juvia whimpered and Natsu was at her side at an instant. "Juvia! What happened? What's wrong?" Juvia tilted her head to the side and found Natsu's warm chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself towards the dragon slayer, craving human touch. "Juvia-san?" Natsu asked as he unconsciously placed an arm around her body and one on her head. "Hey, Juvia-chan. Tell me, what's wrong? Why are you crying Juvia-chan?" Natsu whispered, unknowingly switching to the -chan suffix; his voice growing extremely soft. Juvia raised her red puffy eyes at him and replied in a broken voice.

"Gray…sama."

"Gray? What did that stripper do to you? Did he hurt you in any way, Juvia-chan? You can tell me everything. Don't worry; I'll beat him to a pulp." Natsu exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"No…" She managed to croak as Natsu began to rock Juvia back and forth, tracing soothing circles at her back. She squirmed closer to Natsu and rested her head.

"Hey. It'll be okay. Juvia-chan, are you listening to me? No matter what, you'll be fine." Juvia raised her head and stared deeply in Natsu's soft and determined eyes. Juvia forced a weak smile, not wanting to cause her teammate any more distress because of her.

"Thank you…Natsu-san. Juvia-san feels a little better now." Natsu looked at her with sad eyes. He knew that smile. He knew those eyes. He had seen those not too long ago. Hell, he had practiced those not too long ago. Back when Lisanna had first died, Natsu had effectively put up a strong façade; a bright smile and a shining personality to ease out his pain and to make him forget about what had happened. He had spent hours practicing in front of his reflection on the lake, careful not to leave any hints on how he was really feeling. He couldn't allow it. He had to be strong for everybody else, otherwise who would hold them up then? Natsu had to be strong one. Over time, his wounds had healed with the help of his friends and he had gotten back to his carefree self and his true smiles, but it had taken a lot of time. Natsu couldn't bear to see someone go through the same pain as him. He would help her. No matter what happened, Natsu would help her to get back on her feet and back to the strong mage that he knew that she was. Natsu placed his hands on Juvia's shoulders as he slowly pushed her away. His gaze penetrated her deep blue eyes.

"Juvia-chan… please don't lie to me. I can completely see it in your eyes. I had to put up the same façade not too long ago, eh? I can easily tell it that you're faking. You know I'm not going to leave until you've told me the truth. So I'll ask you again Juvia-chan. What's wrong? What happened with Gray?" Juvia hung her head in defeat, surprised that Natsu had seen right through her act. She opened her mouth, and then paused in hesitation. Could she tell her deepest secrets to Natsu? Would he even understand? She knew him from a distant friend relation, having not gotten too close to him when she was in the guild. She wasn't even sure that she could tell something like this to Gajeel, her best friend. She trusted him completely, as she trusted everybody in Fairy Tail, but a little part of her held her back. "It's okay, Juvia-chan. You can trust me. I won't tell anybody. Just trust me, it'll be alright." Natsu cupped her chin and forced her gaze upward onto his black orbs. His eyes showed sincerity and Juvia wanted desperately to let it all out. "Hey, listen to me. If you don't want to tell me, that's okay. Just know that whenever you are ready, I'll be here for you. I'll always protect you, no matter what! It's what Fairy Tail mages do. We look out for one another." Juvia's bottom lip quivered and she fell forward, her cries beginning anew. She was extremely moved by Natsu's speech and was happy that he was here for her. She would tell him later. Right now, she just wanted to be held.

Natsu held her close and waited until she was done crying. He knew that she just wanted human touch right now. Natsu realized that Juvia was extremely vulnerable right now. He knew that the walls that she had built for herself had come crumbling down and right now, Juvia was just a girl wanting some affection and attention. So Natsu smiled softly and held her close, not being intimate with his actions. Juvia sniffed and tore herself away from Natsu, missing his warm body almost instantly. She blushed, cursing herself for her thoughts and looked at Natsu, who was patiently waiting for her. She waited for a couple of minutes before raising her head and looking at Natsu in his eyes.

"Juvia… doesn't know where to begin." Natsu nodded in understanding.

"Start from the beginning." And so she did.

* * *

_Flashback_

Juvia sat alone at the window-ledge of the orphanage, tracing circles on the steam caused by the rain outside. She turned her head and saw the other kids playing by themselves, laughing and pouting at each other. She sighed and dropped from the ledge and ran to them, wanting to be a part of their activities.

"Hi!" She exclaimed, giving off a bright smile. The kids paused in their games, taking a look at the girl. They ignored her and went back to their own mischief."Hey! I said hi!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot down.

"We know." Commented a random boy with brown hair. Juvia glared at him to which he glared back, challenging her pose.

"So if you head me, why didn't you respond?"

"Cause we didn't want to." Juvia took a step back, hurt by his remark. She clutched her chest and rapidly blinked away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Why?" She whispered softy, lowering her head behind her blue hair.

"Because you're gloomy! Every time you're here, it starts raining and we can never go outside! It happens every time, and we can never play soccer or anything. I wish you would just leave us!"

"You want me to...leave?" She asked.

"Yeah! Geez!" Another boy yelled, getting up from his puzzle and pointing his arm to Juvia.

"Leave us you rain-bringer!"

"I bet you always bring sadness wherever you go!"

"We all hate rain anyway!"

"Leave us, you ugly bluenette!"

"Yeah! And no one likes your ugly dolls anyways! They don't even work with trying to stop the rain!"

Juvia gasped as she watched all of the kids in the orphanage get up and try to get her. Tears were freely flowing from her face as she brought her hands towards her mouth, trying to stop the sobs that were erupting from her throat.

"You...really don't like me that much?" She asked them, looking at them with her puffy red eyes.

"Of course! We _hate _you. Ever since you came, the mistress only pays attention to you. She used to laugh and play with us. Now days, she acts scared and the only kid she'll ever be around is you. We want our Miss back. We don't care if we have to lose_ you _to get her." The brown haired boy yelled; a chorus of agreement sounding behind him.

Juvia flinched, knowing the truth behind his words. The only reason that the mistress took more care of her was because of her incapability to control her water magic. The mistress was scared; scared that one day Juvia would lose control and destroy her precious orphanage. Juvia knew all about her. Even if she tried to act sweet, Juvia had one day overheard her talking to the other staff in the orphanage. So Juvia didn't receive love from the mistress. She got fear. She got rejection.

Juvia turned around.

"If that's what you guys want, then that's what you guys will get!" She screamed, running away from the room. The other kids cheered as she left and she only cried harder, causing the rain to fall tougher and faster. She reached the door and felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw the mistress giving her a soft smile.

"And where are we going out at this hour?" She asked sweetly. Juvia hid her eyes behind her blue hair and lowered her head.

"Tell me mistress, do you love me?" The mistress stepped back, shock splashing over her face.

"L-love you? Now dear, you know that I like all you equally in the orphanage." She stuttered, giving Juvia a fake smile. Juvia stood there emotionless.

"I see. I understand, mistress." The mistress smiled, letting go of a sigh that she didn't even know that she was holding. "You never loved me, did you mistress?" Juvia asked. The mistress gasped as she looked at Juvia, who held her head up, showing her puffy red eyes. "It's okay, mistress. I've never received love from anyone anyways, so it wouldn't make a difference if you gave me love or not. My own parents abandoned me ad left me in an orphanage. That's how I was found, right? Left all alone in a bundle outside the your orphanage with the rain pelting down on me. None of my family members ever loved me. Even the other kids hate me. So it's okay. I know I scare you because of my uncontrollable power. So I'll do you all a favor. I'm leaving mistress." The mistress stood there shocked at the speech from the seven year old. Juvia stood there, waiting for an extra minute. Maybe, just maybe, she had been wrong. Maybe the mistress did love her. But after not getting a response for one minute, Juvia turned around, tears escaping her eyes again. "I see how it is. You didn't even try to stop me. I thought that you might've been different, mistress. But you turned out to be just like I thought you were. You don't even give a damn." The mistress hung her head in shame, embarrassed to be read so easily by a seven year old. "I'm leaving now. I hope you have a good future… mistress." With these final words, Juvia Lockser left her orphanage, never to return.

* * *

"And then?" Natsu asked, interrupting her for the first time.

"Well, Juvia had to live on her own. Survive on scraps, beg, Juvia had to survive, Natsu-san. Eventually, Juvia started to take jobs for money. Over the years, Juvia learned how to control water better, but not to perfection. Then one day, a strange man came up to me and offered me a place in his guild, Phantom Lord. Oh, you don't know Juvia felt that day, Natsu-san. It was one of the happiest days of her life; she was finally accepted somewhere, and people didn't hate her for once. So after that, Juvia tried her hardest to be the best guild member that Phantom Lord had ever seen. They were the ones who had given her a life after all. So along with Gajeel-kun and 2 others, we made the Element Four. Life was good for a while. Until...he came."

"Who came, Juvia-chan?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Bora-san..." Juvia whispered.

* * *

"I swear to you, Juvia-chan. Your hair is extremely beautiful. It's very pretty." Bora said, softly touching Juvia's soft blue hair.

"R-really?" Juvia stuttered, covering her face hoping to cover the blush that was taking over her face. Bora smiled as a stay cool wind blew through the open restaurant. It was their three month anniversary today, and their relationship was going very strong. Rain pounded overhead, but it didn't bother Juvia anymore. How could it? A man who actually cared for who she was was sitting right in front of her. The biggest part about him was that he didn't complain about the rain and how gloomy that it made everybody. He never did ask her about it, and didn't seem to care either. It filled up Juvia's heart with so much warmth; knowing that someone saw her for who she was, and not for the rain that accompanied her.

"Yes really. Why would I lie to such a stunning woman?" Bora said, leaning in. Juvia's blush deepened as she smiled.

"Oh stop it..."

"You know it's true..." Bora whispered, breathing over face. Juvia stiffened, her eyes closing for a second. "So Juvia... are you ready for tonight?" Juvia closed her eyes, her breath coming in shaky gasps. She wasn't. She wasn't ready for what Bora had asked her to do. It was still too early in their relationship and besides, she had been rejected by everyone in her entire life. Who's to say that Bora wouldn't do the same? What if he was just using her to get inside her pants? No... Bora-kun wouldn't do that. He cared about Juvia. Right? He wouldn't hurt her. He understood her pain. He knew that the beneath the tough front lay a girl who had fantasies about her Prince Charming. Boa-kun knew that she was still very sensitive about herself. He was only doing this to love her right? Right?

"To tell you the truth Bora-kun, Juvia's still a little bit uncomfortable. We've only been together for three months and Juvia doesn't know if Juvia can give myself to you fully..."

"But Juvia, aren't you comfortable with me?" Juvia nervously bit her bottom lip. She was comfortable with him; he should've known that by the way she acted around him. But still, she wasn't sure. It was her virginity after all and she really didn't want to carelessly give it to someone. She answered hesitantly.

"Yes..."

"So then why wait?" Juvia twiddled her thumbs, unsure of how to answer. She sighed and looked up at Bora, who was staring at her intently. She hesitated, and then nodded meekly, signaling her okay. This was a really tough decision on her, but she would do it for her Bora-kun. If he wanted it this badly, then Juvia wouldn't deny him of his needs. Besides, this wouldn't hurt _too _much. In fact, Juvia had heard stories about this particular activity. There were some really wild and strange ones, but they usually ended up in both parties receiving pleasure. Could she do such a thing with Bora? Could she imagine herself doing those things? Well, she would have to. She would do anything to please the man that had captured her heart. Bora gave a smile and leaned back, pleased with his response. "See? That wasn't too hard now, was it?" Juvia smiled weakly, not wanting to show her displeasure with their current situation. "I can't wait." Bora said, rubbing his hands together. "Don't worry Juvia-chan. I'll be sure to rock your world." Juvia just nodded and looked the other way, not really paying attention to the conversation. She looked at the rain falling softly on their umbrella. This rain was soft, and pattered quietly against the gravel road. She smiled; enjoying the sight of small children jumping in puddles and dancing in the rain. She watched as they laughed and squealed, tackling one another. Her smile turned into a wide grin. It was nice to know that some people enjoyed the rain.

"When is this rain ever going to end?" Juvia froze in her seat. No. No. Please don't say what Juvia thinks you're going to say. Please. You're different. You're not one of them. You can see past this. Please…

"What?" Juvia whispered, her voice of tone dropping very low. Bora glanced at her and pointed outside.

"The rain. Man is it so gloomy. Always blocking the sun and it limits me on going outside. I find it so strange that it's rained almost every day we've been together. That's so weird right? I hope that it will go away soon." Juvia's heart shattered in a million pieces. No… He was one of those. She had thought that he was different. She had thought that he would accept her. But he turned out to be just like everybody else. Just like everybody else. Juvia stood up, her back towards Bora. Tears were running down her face, but Juvia did not want to sob in front of him. It might just be a misunderstanding. Juvia had to check. Juvia had to know.

"W-what?" Bora looked at her, curious. He tilted his head and looked at Juvia's back.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "All I said was that the rain was gloomy. I don't like it at all. It's horrible. My magic is practically ineffective and I hate the constant pitter patter. It's so _annoying!_ Wouldn't you agree, Juvia?" Juvia stood, incapable of any movement. Her mind was blank, trying to grasp the situation in front of her. "Juvia?" Bora asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's annoying. Hates the constant pitter patter." Juvia whispered to herself, her eyes widening. Her eyes stung from the pain; the familiar pain which she didn't think she would expect from Bora. It wrapped around her like a blanket, and took over all of her senses. But this time, it was much more powerful than anything she had ever felt. Why? Why did it hurt so much? Was it because she allowed herself to get close to Bora? Stinging hot pain coursed through her veins and she let a broken sob escape her throat.

"What's wrong? Everybody hates the rain, you know that." If Juvia had any doubts before, they were erased with that one phrase.

"Everybody…hates the rain?" She whispered in shock, her body not keeping up with the constant surges of shock and denial. As her emotions started to flare, the rain started to come down even harder. "Bora-kun... doesn't like the rain? Does Bora-kun hate the rain?" Juvia's voice became frosty, her back straightening up. "Tell Juvia-chan. Does Bora-kun hate the rain?"

"Yeah. Obviously." Juvia turned around and glared at Bora, her cheeks stained with her tears.

"Then I'm afraid that this can't go on."

"What?" Bora asked, rising from his seat. He was so close to getting her as well. Not many girls could resist his charms and Juvia had been a tough one to crack, having to actually fake a relationship with her. He was so close. He couldn't lose now.

"You heard me Bora-san. You and Juvia are over. Good-bye and Juvia gives you good luck." Juvia spun on her heels and began walking at a brisk pace outside of the restaurant.

"Juvia!" Bora yelled as he grabbed her wrist. "Why? What did I go wrong?" Juvia shot him an icy look.

"You should've known this about me by now Bora. Juvia is the rain." Bora's eyes widened as he let go of her wrist, giving Juvia the opportunity to run out of the restaurant, leaving Bora frozen.

"Damn it! I was so close!" Bora screeched, stomping his foot. "I wasted my time on that bitch for so long too. Damn. Fuck this. I'm going to go to the whore house to get a better deal. Screw her." Bora yelled before taking off. Unknowingly to him, Juvia was hiding near the restaurant, listening to every word that he said. Juvia covered her mouth with her hand, crying noiselessly. It seemed as if she was just never bound to get love anyways. After Bora had disappeared, she left her hiding spot and went back to her guild, vowing to keep her heart closed to anyone that got anywhere near her. It had hurt so much; to learn that the one who you had gave your entire heart to only wanted to get into your pants. That's it. She was done getting hurt from people. From now on, people would fear her. At least that way, they would at least respect her. Yes, she was going to become the best mage that Phantom Lord had ever seen.

* * *

Juvia lay collapsed in Natsu's arms, tired from telling her tale. Everything from that point Natsu already knew, as she frequently told the tale in the guild anyway. How Gray would then save her, show her the sunlight and how he saved her from falling. From that point on, Juvia had fallen in love and wasn't afraid to admit it to anyone. Natsu brushed her blue hair from her face as he watched her body rise and fall from her steady breathing. Her cheeks were stained from her tears and the rain had slowed down to a gentle drizzle, softly pecking at their skin as a cool breeze ran through the rain. She had been crying; just like Yukino and Erza. Natsu knew that Juvia was a very strong mage, hell; she could give Natsu a run for his money. That's why he hated seeing her like this. He hated her showing weakness and he was going to get rid of those tears. He was going to make sure that she never cried again, just like Erza. He tenderly picked up a stray tear and held it up to his face. _I swear to this tear_, he thought. _I will make sure that Juvia never cries again. I will make sure that she finds her true love and she ends up happy, just like how Erza achieved peace. Because that's what nakamas do for each other._

* * *

Juvia stirred in her sleep, relishing the warmth that surrounded her body. She felt much happier than she had in years, and she wasn't even awake yet! Not wanting to let go of this amazing feeling, she turned in her sleep, groaning as she did so. Damn her body was stiff. She took a deep breath and relished the inviting smell of slightly burnt wood and cats. Ahh, good to be home. Wait a second. Burnt wood and cats? She wasn't home! Juvia rocketed out of her sleep and found herself in a hammock. Her eyes widened as she went to scream but suddenly, Natsu popped in front of her with an ear splitting grin.

"Hiya Juvia! Are you awake?" At this point, Juvia did scream and punched Natsu on the face by instinct. Natsu flew back, grabbing his nose. "Oww Juvia-chan…. what was that for?" He whined. Juvia gasped as she realized who it was.

"I'm so sorry Natsu! Are you alright?" She asked, getting out of the hammock and rushing to his side. Natsu smiled widely.

"Of course!" Juvia relaxed and began to look around, oblivious to where she was.

"Ne… Natsu, where are we?"

"Why, at my place of course!" Natsu exclaimed, flaunting his arms. Juvia giggled at his childish behavior before sporting a frown. Damn his place was messy. She was on her knees with Natsu with the only possible clean area in the entire house. Relics and _things_ covered every wall in the house and the floor, making it very hard to move.

"Natsu… your house is a wreck."

"Hey!" Natsu said in mock hurt, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He pouted and turned his head. "I'll have you know everything here has a meaning and I know where everything is."

"Even this week old pizza box?"

"Yes, even that week old- wait what?" Juvia laughed as Natsu growled and cursed under his breath, burning the box to ashes in his hand.

"Oh ha-ha." Natsu glared at Juvia who was trying to control herself from laughing too much. "Laugh all you want, but I still have a cleaner house than that stripper, Gray." Silence quickly enclosed the room as Natsu internally bit his cheek. Shit. Here he was, trying to make her happy, and he already he had gone and screwed up. Juvia cast her head down and a depressing aura surrounded her body. "I'm so sorr-"

"It's okay Natsu-san. Juvia is fine. She just needs a little time, that's all." Juvia said, plastering a fake smile on her face. Natsu narrowed his eyes and huffed, annoyed.

"Drop the act. I can easily tell when someone is faking. I thought I told you that before." Juvia's smile faded and she sighed, giving a weak grin.

"It seems that Juvia can't even fool the most dense and reckless person in Fairy Tail, eh Natsu?"

"Hey! I am so not dense! I've got a lot of smarts!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing at his head. Juvia smirked and decided to tease the young dragon-slayer.

"Oh yeah? Then what does dense mean Mr. Lot of Smarts?" Natsu pouted and crossed his arms, going into a thinking pose. Juvia leaned in, raising an eyebrow. "Well? What does it mean?" Natsu turned away and huffed, smoke emanating from his mouth. "Juvia thought so." Juvia smugly said. Natsu looked over and saw her gleaming at him, her cheeks still stained from her tears but her blue eyes twinkling in the early sun. It was then that Natsu vowed to forever hold that spark in her eyes. He remembered the vow that he made yesterday, as he rarely forgets, and decided to immediately work on it.

"Tell me Juvia-chan." Natsu said softly, his tone changing than that from moments before. Juvia relaxed, his voice calming her nerves. "Do you really love that stripper?" Juvia froze, tensing up immediately. Although she hated the fact that he wouldn't give attention to her, Juvia couldn't find it within herself to hate Gray. Oh how she wishes that she could. That would make things so much easier. There wouldn't be this much pain, first of all. She sighed, furiously blinking away any tears that threatened to drop.

"Yes." She whispered, barely audible. Natsu gave her a wicked grin, one that reminded Juvia of a certain white haired bartender at the guild.

"Good. Because I'm going to make him fall in love with you." Juvia gasped, looking at Natsu. His onyx eyes bore into her ocean blue. Juvia whimpered, falling under his gaze.

"H-how?" How could Natsu do this? She had been trying for so long for him just to acknowledge her, how could Natsu make Gray fall in love with her? How did she know that this wasn't going to turn out like it had for the past couple of years? Juvia didn't think that she could handle another rejection. She was only so tough, after all. It so hard knowing that the person who you had given your heart knew about it, but didn't want to return your feelings. It tore inside of her, and she didn't think that she could handle any more. Juvia furiously blinked away any tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Well, everything aside, I am that stripper's best friend. Even if he is an ice-princess, I still view him as a brother. Who better than me then?" Juvia looked up at him shakily, unsure of how to feel of the situation.

"J-Juvia doesn't know, Natsu-san. J-Juvia just… Juvia can't take it anymore." She stuttered. Natsu grasped her shoulders and peered into her eyes again.

"Believe me, Juvia-chan. I made a promise to make you find your happiness and I'm not going to back down until it's complete. And if your happiness lies within that stripper, then I'll make sure that you end up with him." Juvia chocked up with emotions as the tears she had been holding back finally broke through. Who would've guessed that the guild's idiot would cheer her up? She found it ironic that it was not her love, but his rival that had actually taken the time to notice her discomfort and decide to do something about it. It was actually really sweet what he was doing. Juvia sobbed again, finding no pain in her tears. Natsu's eyes widened as quickly let go of Juvia's shoulders, waving his arms around hysterically. "Juvia, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?" Juvia shook her head as she finally gave a warm, genuine smile.

"No, you idiot! These are tears of happiness." Natsu relaxed as Juvia wiped her eyes. She sniffed as Natsu's stomach gave a loud growl, signaling his hunger. Juvia giggled as she watched Natsu's face flush.

"So, uh, are you hungry?" Juvia grinned.

"Starving." Natsu brightened up, his face radiating happiness.

"Great! There's this great pancake house not too far from here that has an all you can eat buffet. Happy and I go there almost every morning." Juvia tilted her face in confusion.

"Speaking of Happy, where is he? I didn't see him with you yesterday." Natsu's face saddened as he cried anime tears.

"He left me for the girl cat, Charle! That traitor!" Juvia chuckled at his antics before she got up, dusting herself off.

"Well?" She asked, getting a blank stare in return.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to take Juvia to the pancake house?" Natsu smiled, almost splitting his face in two.

"Let's go." He said, taking her hand and running from his house. Juvia hung on for her life, laughing merrily along the way. Only one thought raced through her mind as she ran with Natsu.

_I've never had this much fun in my life. _

* * *

"Ahh! That sure hit the spot!" Natsu exclaimed, rubbing his stomach. Juvia looked up from her pancakes and gave a small smile before returning to her food. She moaned in delight as the maple syrup and butter filled her senses. Holy crap, this was good. She should've found out about this place sooner. Natsu watched her eat, pleased that she liked the food here as much as he did. After all, pancakes were a western delicacy. Well, now was the time to put his plan into action. "So, Juvia-chan. Now that I know everything about you, let's discuss Gray." Juvia glanced up from her food, her eyes still depicting sadness. He was soon going to change that though. "So. Stripper. Ice-Queen. Slanty eyes. Gray Fullbuster. How do you suppose we do this?" Juvia sweat dropped at his question.

"Juvia thought you were the one with the plan, Natsu-san?" Natsu grumbled under his breath.

"So what have you tried, Juvia-chan? We could head on from there." Natsu suggested, trying to change the topic. Juvia blinked; amazed that Natsu actually used a smart remark. She sighed as she tried not to let the pain from previous rejections overtake her.

"Everything…. Juvia has tried everything Natsu-san. Absolutely everything. Juvia has tried changing my hair, changing my hairstyle, Juvia's tried _everything._ I-I thought at first that maybe in time, he would notice me, but it's been years now and Juvia can't seem to catch his attention. Juvia is just tired, Natsu-san. So very, very, tired. Juvia thinks that Juvia just wasn't meant for love, Natsu-san."

"Stop it right there, Juvia-chan." Natsu growled, leaning in. "There is a mate for everybody out there; the only thing is that you have to find them. Everybody is meant for love, and everybody will receive love in their lifetime. In your case, it's just taking longer than usual to find it. Don't worry Juvia-chan. The more bitter the wait is, the sweeter the victory." Juvia glanced up at him and smiled, reassured by his calming words. Natsu grinned and leaned back, relaxing once again. "Have you ever tried jealousy?"

"What do you mean?" Juvia asked, tilting her head.

"Like trying to make him jealous. If there's something that I know about the bastard, it's the fact that he's extremely possessive and extremely competitive." Juvia put a finger on her chin.

"What you say is true, but how would Juvia do it? Juvia can't make him jealous by my abilities; my water powers coincide with his ice powers, so how?"

"It's easy. You become my girlfriend." Juvia shook her head furiously.

"No. Juvia can't betray Gray. Juvia may go single for her entire life but Juvia will never betray Gray."

"Ah you see, but that's not it. You're just going to pretend to be my girlfriend so that the stripper will finally get a backbone and admit that he has feelings for you. Knowing how he is with me, if you become my girlfriend he'll get really jealous and we'll exploit that, forcing him to spill his feelings. Then you'll have your happy ending and have many kids with the idiot." Juvia gaped at him.

"Juvia wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes." She whispered, staring at the man in front of with awe. Natsu squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Juvia just thought that she would never see the day when Natsu-san actually says something intelligent" She said, poking at his forehead.

"Hey!" Natsu exclaimed. "I've got lots of smarts! I thought I already told you that" He whined, his eyes replicating a kicked puppy. Juvia chuckled at his antics.

"So when do we put this plan into action, _Nat-kun?_" Juvia teased, leaning forward and unconsciously showing Natsu some of her cleavage. Natsu tilted his head in confusion.

"Nat-kun?"

"Why, yes Nat-kun. If we're going to be girlfriend and boyfriend, then we must have nicknames for each other. Wouldn't you agree, _Nat-kun?_" She cooed. Natsu, like the dense idiot he is, nodded his head in agreement and wasn't moved by her advantages by one bit. Juvia sweat dropped at his naivety. However, after she had had her fun, Juvia's face took on a serious manner. "Know this, Natsu-san. Juvia is very hesitant about this, but will only do it because she'll get Gray in the end. Juvia's… Juvia's not too sure about herself because she's never had her feelings returned. Never… never has the feeling ever been mutual between Juvia and the person that she loves. It hurts, Natsu-san. More than you imagine. But what do you know about love? You're so dense it kills the other guild members sometimes. Like have you never noticed Lucy?" She asked. He only looked at her in confusion.

"What about Lucy?" Juvia groaned; of course he couldn't see anything that the blonde hinted at. Oh well.

"Nothing, Natsu-san. Nothing…" She said, her voice drifting off in the end. They sat in comfortable silence for a little bit, leaving Juvia to her own thoughts. Natsu reached his hand out and put it over hers.

"Hey, Juvia." He whispered, his voice softer than anything that Juvia ever remembered.

"Yeah?" She whispered, just as soft. He gave her his signature grin, making her heart flutter for a moment.

"Don't you worry, Juvia-chan. We'll get him, and when we do, we'll both beat him up together. How does that sound?" He asked. Tears lingered at the corner of her eyes as she smiled at him.

"Together." She agreed.

* * *

**Hello people of Earth! Howdy, this is JackQuake and this is a project I've been working on for a little bit. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed it :)**

**Before I post the entire story, I just wanted to know if you guys liked the idea. **

**So please review and tell me it's good or not, and whether or not I should continue this. **

**Other than that, to my other readers, don't worry, His Little One will be getting an update soon, I promise.**

**Also, I have to dedicate this story to two people. **

**One, to Yoh Narukami :)**

**His NatVia insipred me to write this. I hoped you liked it, man :D**

**And the other one is a very close friend of mine. You know who you are. Because you don't have an account, I can't put your name but this one's for you buddy. **

**Read and Review**

**JackQuake **


	2. The Guild's Reaction

"So how do you propose we do this, Natsu-san?" Juvia asked as she twirled her ocean blue hair between her fingertips. She was nervous and she had every right to be. She was going to be acting like Natsu's girlfriend just so that they could enrage the ice mage and finally get him to admit his feelings for her. It was outside of her wildest dreams that she would ever cheat on her Gray. However, Natsu had assured her that since Gray and her never had anything in the first place, she technically wouldn't be cheating on him. Of course, that comment had gotten him a glare and a punch upside the head. She was still a little uncertain about this entire ordeal, but she was putting her entire faith in Natsu. She knew that when it came to the guild, he would give more than 100 percent; she was just hoping that his 100 percent would be enough for her to finally win Gray's heart.

Juvia found the concept that someone would willingly be Natsu's girlfriend a little absurd. Natsu was a knuckleheaded, short tempered, dense, loud, and boisterous idiot. And he ate like a damn _animal._ And don't even get her started on his manners. He had talked with the waitress with his mouth full of food! Jeez, you would think that he would at least chew his food when he put it into his mouth. But looking into it, he wasn't a bad person. He cared a lot for his teammates and she was certain that it would certainly transfer to whatever girl caught his attention (If any did catch his attention at all; she swore that Lucy and Lisanna were ready to rip their heads out because of the pink headed dragon slayer). He was also immensely loyal… she knew that he would never cheat, after all; no dragon ever cheats on his mate. He would also be a good father. He had raised Happy well for the most of his life (the rest of life being together with Natsu and Lisanna). Damn. She could definitely see why a girl would fall for him. She sighed, running her hands through her hair. She had just made a point, established it, and contradicted in the same train of thought. Sometimes she wondered if she was crazy. Juvia huffed and gave a small laugh. Yeah right she was crazy. She was simply… expressive and different. Especially when it came to Gray.

"Huh?" Natsu asked unintelligently. Juvia shook her head as they walked along the streets of Magnolia. She had decided to take a walk with him and ask him about his current plans before they entered the guild. And she made a good call too. Seems like Natsu had no idea how he was going to execute his own plan. Typical Natsu. Calling a plan and then charging in like a blind bull. How could she have expected any different? She had seen him fight several times; this should have been a given.

"Juvia said, how do you propose we do this? We can't just randomly walk in and declare that we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

"We can't?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Juvia face-palmed; of course he didn't know about these kinds of things. Juvia was forgetting that she was talking with one of the most naïve minds in the entire guild. "Why can't we just say that we're mates? Shouldn't it be that simple?" Juvia shook her head, a small smile gracing her face. _If only it was that simple. If only, Natsu-sa- Juvia means Natsu-kun. Juvia has to be careful about this. _

"No. We need a story. A good, believe story that will be enough to convince everybody as to how and why we got together. Juvia has a couple of ideas but she doesn't think that they will work," She stated with a pout. She glanced up to see that they had arrived at Magnolia Park; the varieties of trees flush green from the summer season. She took Natsu's hand (which was _warm_) and dragged him towards a bench, sitting him down. She looked at him with a serious expression, signalling that she was in no mood for jokes. "Juvia has to be careful Natsu-kun. The girls in Fairy Tail love to gossip and they will absolutely _hound_ me for all of the small details. Juvia doesn't know how it works with the guys, but for girls, it's a very big deal. And-"

"It's alright Juvia-san," She shot him a glare, making him wince. "I mean, Juvia-chan. I understand." Juvia sighed in relief before raising her eyebrow. He understood what she was trying to say? Did she hear that right? "Your girls just want to do your lovey-dovey stiff, right? It's okay. You don't have to worry about me. We boys are too manly for that kind of stuff anyway."

* * *

In the guild, Elfman let out a massive sneeze.

"Achoo! Manly!"

"Bless you. Are you alright nee-san?" A concerned Mirajane questioned, appearing over her brother holding a tray and a glass of ale. Elfman shivered, a cool wind flowing through the open doors.

"Yeah I'm fine. I have an odd feeling though... which is definitely not manly..."

"I'm sure it's just your imagination." Mirajane replied with a smile, quickly leaving to serve the other mages within the guild.

* * *

Juvia let out a massive sweat-drop. Yeah right he understood what she was trying to say. Juvia huffed in defeat. Were they ever going to come up with a good plan? She sighed. Poor Nat-kun. It wasn't his fault that he was so innocent. She looked over to Natsu and shook her head. Natsu's shoulders visibly dropped as he absentmindedly conjured a dancing flame on his hand. Juvia turned to see Natsu looking at the fire with more concentration than she had ever seen the pink headed dragon slayer conjure outside of a battle. Juvia tilted her head in curiosity. What was Natsu-kun thinking about? Could he have possibly thought up of a plan? No… Juvia was willing to bet that he was probably just thinking about food. Or about his foster father, Igneel. Oh well. Now his flame was dancing from finger to finger. What was he doing?

Suddenly, Natsu sprung up, pumping his fist in the air. Juvia looked at him in shock which quickly turned to amusement.

"Yosh!" He exclaimed, his face breaking into an enormous grin. "I think I have it!" Juvia stared at him with hope sprouting in his eyes.

"What? What happened? Did you think of something?" Natsu just laughed at her. How could they have not thought up of this before? It was so obvious.

"It's so simple Juvia-chan! You're water!" Juvia raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was he trying to say? Obviously she was water; it was her magic after all.

"Huh?" Natsu grabbed her shoulders and picked her up from the bench. Juvia blushed a little from the sudden contact but steeled herself. She did not like the pink head. She was in love with her Gray. Even if he didn't like her back…

"Don't you get it, Juvia-chan? You're water! And I'm fire!" Natsu hinted, leaning in closer to the bluenette. Juvia frowned. This was ridiculous. She knew their elements; after all, Natsu and she had fought as a guild many times. So why was he mentioning these things now? Shouldn't they be more concerned about the story that they were going to have to come up with?

"Juvia doesn't get it." She responded blankly. Natsu just shook his head, his face practically inches from hers. Juvia tried but failed to hold her blush down as she could feel Natsu's hot breath run across her face.

"Our elements; you're water and I'm fire! We're opposites! Don't like, opposites attract or something?" Juvia's eyes lit up in recognition. Of course! That could work… and possibly save their behinds. Wow. This was great. Awesome. In fact, she could practically hear the gears in her brain grinding together to get a believable story.

"Nat-kun, you are a freaking genius!" Juvia exclaimed jumping up from the bench and hugging Natsu. Natsu raised his fist in the air as Juvia stepped back.

"Well, duh. I am Igneel's son. The proud and fearsome dragon slayer, Natsu Dragneel!"

Juvia laughed and Natsu just smiled. She motioned for him to sit down again, which he did obediently._ Juvia already has him dancing on her fingertips, _Juvia thought._ This is going to be fun._

"Okay now, Natsu-kun. Now that we have the premises of the story, we have to make the rest of it up. So...hmmm… how about…no that wouldn't work either…Juvia's got it. How about we took a mission together, and during that mission you saved Juvia from some monsters?"

"You know what? That sounds really cliché and overused. Also if we were to use that idea, I think that we'd lose readers." Juvia looked at him stunned.

"What?" Natsu shook his head, before splitting his face with his smile.

"Don't worry about the story. I have us covered." Juvia looked upon him with wide eyes.

"Really?" She sounded desperate, her voice strained. Juvia wanted to believe him. She really did. But although she trusted her fellow comrade, the one thing she didn't trust was his intelligence. Natsu's eyes were twinkling, a spark residing in his pupils that she had only seen a couple of times in her life. So although her brain was screaming that this was a bad idea, and her gut indicated that this would end really badly, she decided to listen to the one thing that was telling her that it would be alright. She decided to listen to her heart. Juvia smiled at Natsu.

"Alright, Nat-kun. I trust you. If we have our story, let's head to the guild, ne?" The dragon slayer rapidly nodded his head.

"Yosh! Let's go!" Natsu smirked, grabbing her hand before rocketing off towards the guild.

* * *

Currently, within the guild, Erza Scarlet was doing what she loved doing in her pass time- eating a strawberry cake made by her best friend Mirajane Strauss. She was nibbling away on the icing, her thoughts drifting away to the delicious triple layered strawberry cake she had seen in the local bakery. Maybe she shouldn't have made 20 orders on that cake. The baker had first looked at her as if she was crazy, which had quickly turned into admiration when he had realized that she was serious and that she had the money for it as well. She pouted. It was going to take over a week to get the entire delivery to reach her place at Fairy Hills. Oh well. She could make do with Mirajane's cake for now.

KABAAM!

The guild doors flew open, groaning as they almost flew off their hinges. Erza dropped her fork in surprise, her strawberry cake plummeting to the floor. She gasped in shock, hurt clearly evident on her face. She had just started on that slice too! The Titania of Fairy Tail stood up, emanating a menacing aura.

"Whoever just opened that door… opened the doors to their death. Any last words, fool?" She growled, her eyes glowing red from behind her bangs. She turned to see Natsu standing in the center of the doorway, his hands on his hips. The guild was frozen in fear, already praying that his death wouldn't be too painful. Mirajane, of course, being the bad-ass she is, just smiled and wiped the counter of the bar, humming to herself. _Let's see how this ends up_. Erza chuckled darkly, causing half of the male population in Fairy Tail to wet themselves. "Ah, Natsu. I was hoping that it was going to be you," She said, cracking her knuckles and popping some bones in her neck. "See, I've wanted to release some stress lately and you just gave me the perfect opportunity. Any words before I obliterate you into tomorrow?" Natsu grinned foxily, causing Erza to hesitate and take a step back. She knew that Natsu was confident with his abilities and often challenged her for battles, but he had never before stood up to her. What was his game?

"Ah Erza. I'm sorry. I don't think today you can kill me. I have news that I wanted to share with the guild. It's a secret that I've been hiding for a while now." If anyone hadn't been paying attention before, Natsu had grabbed their attention. Erza crossed her arms, her curiosity taking over the urge to violently harm Natsu.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Natsu grinned before turning around and bringing Juvia forward. Juvia had a faint blush on her cheeks, her eyes trained on the ground, unable to find anyone else's. Erza raised an eyebrow. What the hell was the dragon slayer doing?

"So? What's with Juvia? It's not like she's new here. She's been here for a while…" Erza said. Natsu's smile just widened.

"Well duh. But I came here today to show you this." With the following statement said, Natsu Dragneel did something that no one would have ever expected, or saw coming. He went over to Juvia, puller her close, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Juvia's blush deepened, but she remained where she was and smiled along for the act. Natsu grabbed her hand and held it up high in the air. "We're mates now!"

Let it be known that the following events all occurred at the same time, and that it would forever be recorded into Fairy Tail history.

Makarov fainted and dropped on the guild floor, unable to take the shock of Natsu having enough intelligence to even notice anybody of the opposite sex. Gajeel looked at him and grunted, before getting back to chomping on some metal. He sneaked a peek towards a certain blue headed book lover, wishing that he could muster up the courage to tell her the same thing. Levy's mouth was open wide, her logic having abandoned her. _But… Gray… Juvia… ice…water… what the hell?_ Cana, for the first time in her life, willingly abandoned her alcohol and narrowed her eyes. _Something isn't right here, _the card mage mused. Laxus scoffed, frankly not caring whether or not what the hell Natsu did, as long as he didn't get in his way. Macao and Wakaba grinned and giggled perversely. _Good for him,_ they thought, _maybe he'll finally get laid._ Romeo looked flabbergasted, his face switching from shock, to admiration, to respect. Elfman lifted his right arm up, shouting manly as he did so. Bickslow and Freed… well they just stood there, loyal to their Laxus-sama. Wendy blushed at their implications, a smile lighting her face. Charle looked indifferent. Happy's head whipped from Natsu to Juvia rapidly, before passing out, having used too much brain power. _She liikkkeeess him?_ Lucy stood still, her face holding a look of defeat. She then proceeded to run away and become a badass dragon slayer, somehow ending up with Natsu in the end.

Joking.

Joking.

She stood there with a hurt look before quickly schooling her self. Sure, she had a small crush on the dragon slayer. But it wasn't anything that she could get over. He was her best friend before any of that anyways. She would be there to support him. Lisanna, on the other hand, smiled at the pink headed dragon slayer, happy that he could find someone that he cared about. Mirajane stole a glance towards Lisanna, fearful for her reaction. As she saw genuine happiness written on her little sister's face, she sighed in relief.

Then there was Gray.

He looked shocked to say the least, which pleased Juvia to no end. Good. This was the reaction which she was trying to evoke. Her smile grew a little more. Perhaps this crazy plan would actually work out in the end. Hopefully it did. She looked at him and saw disbelief flashing across his eyes before he quickly schooled his features. He wasn't an elite mage of Fairy Tail for no reason. He knew when to handle himself. Juvia was doing a dance on the inside. Everything was going according to plan. This was amazing. They were making so much progress before they even began. A cold breeze made her snap back to reality as she saw Erza standing in front of the duo. Juvia started to shake and sweat, terrified of the mage in front of her. She wasn't called the Titania of Fairy Tail for no reason. She looked towards Natsu, hoping that he would be able to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

Natsu was pale as a ghost, sweating more than she was, fear showing clearly across his face. Juvia sweat dropped. Great help he was.

"Care to repeat that?" Erza whispered in a dangerously low voice, causing their knees to tremble. Juvia nudged at Natsu, who was whimpering softly. He gulped before looking at Erza again.

"Mates, Erza. We are mates." Natsu said, steeling his voice and trying desperately to sound confident. Erza looked at them with dead eyes.

"Mates, eh? Care to tell us how?" Mirajane's eyes lit up and she pressed forward from the bar.

"Yeah! Juvia, tell us! How did you end up with the most dense male member of the guild?" The entire guild turned their heads towards the water mage, their eyes settling on her face. Juvia unconsciously took a step back, slightly overwhelmed by the response that she was getting. She knew that this was coming. She had even told Natsu. Juvia had to believe in him, though. So she took a deep breath and plunged into the dark, murky waters in front of her. She was unsure of how the journey would be, but she knew that she could clearly see the ending. It would be her ending up with Gray. That was the only ending… right?

"Well actually-"

"It's alright, Juvia-chan, I'll do this," Natsu interrupted her, his face sporting one of the most serious looks she had ever seen on him. She smiled, happy that he had thought this out. "And as for all of you? Well this story started not too long ago, and it all started with an awesome dragon slayer..." Natsu said, his head lifting to the right to initiate a flashback.

"Awesome, my ass."

"Gray!" Erza scolded, whipping her head around to spot the ice mage. "Don't interrupt!" Gray's posture grew rigid as he gave her a sharp salute.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Continue, Natsu." Erza said, nodding her head, motioning him to continue. He smiled and began again.

"So as I was saying, this story starts with an awesome dragon slayer..."

* * *

Natsu stood at the edge of an abandoned cliff, his scarf flying behind him from the gusty winds originating from the crashing waves down below him. The borderline for the forest ended just a few feet before the cliff, making the spot extremely isolated. The setting sun painted the ocean with it's vibrant colors, making the entire ocean seem like it was breathing fire with the different hues of orange, red, and yellow. He checked his shoulder for Happy, before cursing silently. He had become so accustomed to having him around, it felt really weird that he wasn't here right now. Happy had told him that he would be with Charle; the Exceed was making remarkable progress with his fellow Exceed. Good for him. Now they could run off and make some eggs so that there would be baby Happys and baby Charles. It would be awesome to see Happy as a father.

He shook his head. It was almost time to go back to the guild anyway. He had taken this mission as a personal request; the pay was too small to involve his team. It was supposed to be a two man mission, but with Happy gone and all, Natsu thought he could just tackle this on his own. Now with his mission in his pocket and the town not utterly destroyed (a huge achievement for the dragon slayer), he was just having some alone time. Picking himself up, he inhaled deeply, loving the salty scent of the ocean. It was ironic, really. A fire dragon slayer loving the scent of the ocean, but knowing that this was the closest he could get without becoming sick. Suddenly, he picked up a familiar, but peculiar scent. He inhaled again. _Hmm. __I know this scent. Fairy Tail. I could spot that scent anywhere. Someone from the guild perhaps? Not that stripper Gray.. not Lucy-she's too familiar-, not Erza... ah well. Let's go greet them anyways. Maybe they have food!_ So Natsu took off in the direction of his comrade, sprinting through the forest.

In the meantime, Juvia was fighting some enemy mages with an impassive look on her face. Sure they were decent fighters, but they were nowhere near her caliber. They couldn't even begin to compare with some of the enemies that she had fought with Fairy Tail before. She had been one of the Elemental Four, the four strongest fighters with Phantom Lord. She sidestepped an enemy and carefully tripped him, changing the form of her water to a sharp sword, piercing the mage in the chest, instantly killing him. _Juvia has to thank Gajeel-san for this one. His arm gave Juvia the thought for this attack. _Her skills over water were getting better every day and she was happy. She would become strong so that she could protect her comrades. She would be strong enough so that she would be known as one of the strongest female mages of Fairy Tail. That, and maybe Gray liked strong mages. Who knew? She hoped that she could finally catch his attention this time. While this happened, Juvia lost a bit of concentration, leaving an opening for the enemy mages. They immediately struck at the opportunity, knowing that they wouldn't get another chance like this ever again. The enemy mage yelled, and shoved his sword through Juvia's gut while his partner caught her in an enhanced upper punch, the shock wave resonating behind her. Their comrades dropped their guard and started to laugh, having the misconception that Juvia had been obliterated with that attack.

"JUVIA!" Natsu screeched as he saw Juvia melt into a puddle of water. A large wave of pure power swept through the area as the enemy mages found it hard to breathe. They turned around and saw Natsu clenching his fists, his body visibly shaking as it gave off a red aura. "Nobody hurts my nakama," Natsu said, his voice void of emotions. He suddenly leaped forward and punched the sword user in the head, killing him in one shot. "Nobody." He growled, before lighting his fist on fire and charging at his comrades. Within seconds, bodies littered the floor as Natsu disposed of them quickly. He quickly dropped his facade as he rushed towards the pool of water on the floor, dropping to his knees. "Juvia... I'm so sorry I couldn't save you... I was too late. Dammit this is exactly like Lisanna! If only I was stronger... if only..."

"If only what, Natsu-san?" Natsu turned his head around as he saw Juvia standing with an amused look on her face. She was holding her hand over her mouth, trying desperately not to giggle at his antics. Natsu opened his mouth, his head whipping between the puddle of water and the girl standing in front of him.

"But... you... puddle... what?" He questioned, clutching at his hair. Juvia leaned over and patted his head.

"Don't think about it too much, Natsu-san. Juvia is water, you should know if she doesn't want something to hit her, it won't. Or have you already forgotten about Juvia's fight with Fairy Tail?" Natsu opened his mouth to reply, but Juvia held out her hand, silencing him. "That's alright, Natsu-san. You didn't really have to help Juvia. She could have easily handled the situation on her own. It would have been nicer if it was Gray-sama though..." Juvia trailed off with a faraway look on her face and drool escaping the corner of her mouth.

"Juvia?" Natsu asked, a little worried about the bluenette.

"Huh? Oh right," She replied with a small blush, shaking her head. "Anyways, as Juvia was saying, thank you for helping Juvia. She didn't need it, but it was appreciated." Juvia smiled at the dragon slayer. Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's alright. By the way, do you have any food?" he asked, jumping up from the ground. Juvia sweat dropped. _Is that all he thinks about?_

* * *

"Yes. That is all Natsu will ever think about. What else did you expect?" Erza grew a tick mark as she forced a sweet smile.

"If you interrupt one more time, Gray, I swear I will punish you so bad it will make Master's punishment like a walk in the park, get it?" Gray tensed up and literally froze over in fear. The rest of the guild shivered, fearing for his soul.

"Worse than Master's punishment... is that even possible?" Wakaba whispered to Macao. Macao shook his head.

"I don't know... but with someone like Erza involved.. she might be able to do it." He whispered back. Erza slammed her hand down onto the table, demanding attention.

"Alright you two, get back to the story. Be sure to go over it in detail, got it?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion.

"But why?" Erza growled at him, a faint blush adorning her cheeks.

"hmshfsd" She mumbled, her voice not carrying through the guild.

"What?" Natsu asked. Erza glared at him, her cheeks flaring red.

"Because I like good love stories! And if I don't get a good one from you, I'll plummet you into the ground for wasting my time! Now hurry the hell up!"

"YES MA'AM!" Natsu said, saluting her. He let a small smirk fly before facing the guild. _That was definitely my win. Hehehe. Who says I don't have any brains?_ "So where were we?"

"Where you were acting like a moron." Gajeel stated, chewing on some metal. Natsu glared at him.

"Do you want a fight metal boy?" Gajeel rose from his spot in the guild to challenge the other dragon slayer.

"And what if I do?"

"Then I will kick both of your asses so hard that you'll go crying to your dragon parents." Erza said, a dark aura surrounding her body. "Am I understood?" Her devil red eyes shone throughout the guild and Gajeel backed off, for even he feared for his life.

"Hmmph." He replied, sitting down and crossing his arms. Natsu scratched the back of his head.

"So let's start shall we?"

* * *

**Next Chapter, Natsu's story! **

**Wow.**

**I am shocked with the responses on this story.**

**I'm really honored, and I never thought people would like this so much.**

**At the beginning, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I'm thinking of doing a couple of chapters to this story**

**If the responses continue to stack though, who knows?**

**But hope you guys enjoyed this chapter,**

**It was supposed to be a little lighter than the last one**

**Because even if Juvia's past is a little dark, **

**This is Fairy Tail and there's bound to be humour, no? **

**Also,**

**I'm not hating on the dragon slayer Lucy; just poking fun at it.**

**Don't get me wrong, **

**Not like I hate it, **

**But, I couldn't resist XD**

**Blehh one of the longest Notes I've ever done**

**Read and Review, it's like my virtual fuel for this story**

**Hope you guys liked it,**

**JackQuake :D**


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